Emergency Situations

When emergency situations occur, it is important to remain calm. Below are some common situations and suggestions for treating them before you have the opportunity to see a dentist.

Chipped Tooth
Rinse your mouth with warm water, and reduce any swelling by using cold compresses. Your emergency dentist may fix the tooth using a white filling. If a filling is not likely to help, your dentist may recommend a root canal and a crown.

Bitten Tongue or Lip
Clean the cut area, and reduce the swelling using a cold compress. If the cold compress doesn’t stop the bleeding or the swelling, visit the emergency room of the nearest hospital immediately to get the wound sutured. In case of a tongue laceration, simply pull the tongue forward, and place a piece of gauze to put pressure on the affected area.

Cracked Tooth
Your emergency dentist will use methods like bonding or root canal treatment depending on the size of the crack and the location. In extreme cases, your dentist may extract your tooth.

Broken Jaw
Use an ice pack to reduce the swelling. Visit your emergency dentist or an emergency room as fast as possible.

Toothache
Call your emergency dentist, and make an appointment. Use dental floss to remove any food or other forms of debris, caught between the teeth. Don’t use any pain killers directly on the gums, because they can burn the gums. In the meantime, take an over-the-counter painkiller to ease the pain. An ice pack pressed against your face right at the source of the toothache will provide some relief. Do not use hot compresses on the affected area, but do rinse your mouth using warm water.

Knocked Out Tooth
Do not panic. Locate the tooth and immediately call your emergency dentist. While waiting to see the dentist, rinse the area, but don’t scrub. Don’t try to remove any of the tissue fragments that may be attached to the tooth. If you can, insert the tooth back into its socket. If this is not possible, or if you fear that you might swallow your tooth, place it in a glass of cold milk, or wrap in a clean cloth. Visit the emergency dentist as quickly as possible.

Objects Caught Between Teeth
Never use sharp or pointy tools to remove any object that is stuck between your teeth. Instead, use dental floss carefully to remove the object. Take care to protect your gums. If you cannot dislodge the object, contact an emergency dentist immediately.

Extruded Teeth
Push the tooth back to its normal position by using mild finger pressure. Do not force the tooth back into the socket, and quickly make an emergency appointment to see the dentist.

Fractured Teeth

A minor fracture can be treated by your emergency dentist using a sand paper disc. He or she might also restore the tooth using a composite restoration, or may even choose to leave it alone if it is a minute fracture. Regardless, treat the tooth with great care over the next several days, and be careful not to eat hard or sticky foods.
In case of a moderate fracture in which there is no permanent damage to your pulp, your emergency dentist will make use of teeth restoration methods, including placing a permanent crown to bring your tooth to its pre-fractured condition. If there has been damage to your pulp, your dentist may make use of additional treatment options. Besides pulp damage, a moderate fracture can also involve damage to the dentin or enamel.
In case of a severe fracture, chances of recovering the tooth may be slim. Even so, your emergency dentist will make use of specialized dental procedures to restore severely damaged teeth. Consulting an emergency dentist for immediate treatment.

Lost Fillings
Place a piece of sugarless chewing gum that has been softened, in the hole which contained the filling. Consult an emergency dentist as quickly as possible, to replace the filling.